Snippets of Life
by QueenKit
Summary: Short probably unrelated stories from the Star Wars Universe. Most will probably include Darth Vader. Rated T just to be safe for the future.
1. Hunting

**The Hunt**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars. I also do not know anything about the military except what I attempted to look up... so if it's not right I apologize in advance.

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She had finally made her escape. It was time to rescue her comrade from certain discovery. Their mission was an important one; intelligence gathering. She would have to be careful, should she fail all would be lost.

She crept stealthily through the air vents taking first one left, then two, passing one intersection and taking a right before she reached her location. She could see the light through the vent below her and hear the voices of her opponent speaking to his officers. She paused a moment waiting for the right moment to arrive. She noticed her quarry turn his back to her location, the attention of his officers also directed away from her entrance.

She silently opened the vent and dropped to the ground landing in a crouch. She was pleased to note that not one of them appeared to have noticed any disturbance. Slowly she stalked closer to her prey, suddenly springing to tackle her larger opponent. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shouted her battle cry.

"DADDY!"

The black cloaked figure gave a sigh, obvious even through the distortions from his respirator.

"Leia," He spoke to the small brunet who was determinedly hanging from around his neck, "What have I told you about interrupting my meetings with the senior officers?"

"Not to." She grinned and cheekily replied.

"And about this 'glomping' you have become prone to?"

"To never ever do it even if we're at home." She replied in the matter of fact way that all children have of speaking what they've been told.

"Then tell me. What precisely are you doing?" Leia was normally more discrete about her attempts to spy on her father's meetings. Luke was the one who typically just burst in where he wasn't supposed to be and made a scene.

"Um…" It appeared that she hadn't considered what to say to that. She was an excellent politician for only being eight standard years old, but she had nothing on her mother before she passed away.

He closed his eyes and prayed to the force for patience. He loved his children, but they could be more than a handful at the best of times. "Lieutenant Piett." This meeting would normally not be open to someone of such low rank, but the man was soon to be promoted to Captain of his flagship and he wished to (finally) get a competent man on rout to becoming a commanding officer on his ship. He had thusly taken the time to train him personally.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Please escort Miss Skywalker to her room and set a guard to ensure that she remains within them this time." He paused a moment finally sensing the second presence he knew couldn't be far away. "You may escort this one as well."

A sheepish Luke was dragged out from under the conference table and passed to the Lieutenant, who smothered a smile. Lord Vader's children were always attempting to find ways into places they were meant not to be. When Lord Vader took him under his wing he had gotten to know the family and was pleased to see that Lord Vader had faith in him to protect his most precious possessions.

"As you wish my lord." He gave a short bow and then turned to the children. "Come Luke, Leia." He gently steered the pouting children from the room.

"I guess that didn't work so well, Leia." Vader heard as they exited the room.

"Just you wait Luke. I'll have an even better plan next week."

As the door closed behind them he smothered a groan; just another normal day in the home of the Galactic Heir.


	2. Battle

Battlefield

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars.

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He stared across the field at his opponent considering his options carefully. A harsh battle had been waged here this day. Heavy losses were evident on both sides. It was an unfortunate turn that his sides had suffered the most losses, when his was the side of righteousness and justice. The battle had begun with himself and his opponent on nearly equal terms so far as the size of their armies, however his enemy had proven adept at strategy and as a result he was nearly cornered.

"I do not have all day Young One." The deep voice of his opponent came to him from the other side of the field. "You must make your choice."

He grit his teeth in annoyance. "Don't call me that."

"I will continue to address you as such until you prove to me that you are more than that. Now make your choice."

"FINE!" He turned his head away from the man who had once fulfilled all his dreams and ordered his remaining fighter to make an assault on the commanding officers of his opponent's army.

"A foolish choice." The man stated as he calmly moved his troops to eliminate the fighter.

"No!" He tried desperately to find an escape, but he was outnumbered five to one, and with this man at the command he had no chance, but to give up and surrender.

His opponent's voice carried over him and he could just make out some satisfaction of this victory hidden beneath the natural cloaking of his voice modulator. "Checkmate."

"That's not fair! You can't do that!" Luke cried smashing his hand down on the table as his father calmly moved his knight into a position that allowed no escape for Luke's defenseless King.

"You are the one who challenged me to a game of chess young one."

"Well how was I supposed to know that the horsey piece-"

"That is the knight, son."

"-Moved that way!"

"I explained that to you when we began this game Luke. You have lost, now it is time to follow through on your agreement."

"I demand a rematch! You can't possibly have won without using the force to help you!"

"Luke I have been playing Chess with the Emperor for many years. You are barely any competition. I even went easy on you. If I had been playing at my full ability you would have been wiped out in minutes. I gave you a more than a fair chance."

"FINE! FINE! I'll go do the dishes! " He growled in frustration and spat, "Sith."

"Jedi." Vader's voice held the same scorn.

Luke growled again and headed off to the kitchen of the retreat to do the dishes. It had been quite enjoyable to come to a place free of technology in which to train his son in the ways of the Force. Hopefully Luke would learn some discipline as well.

There was a crash and he distinctly made out a shout of "SITHSPIT".

He sighed and closed his eyes wearily. Or perhaps he would have to settle for his son learning how to wash dishes without breaking them before they ran out. Force give him patience for his son would need to get over this rebellious phase quickly or risk everything.

Such was the way of the Sith.

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**AN:** Some inspiration from the Force Bond Series by KittandChips here on FFN for how Luke and Vader Relate.


	3. Puppy

Disclaimer: Star Wars doesn't belong to me. Only the plunnies.

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**Puppy

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It was the day that they had all been waiting for. It seemed as if all of their lives had been building up to this moment. In fact for most of them it more than seemed this, it truly was this. This is what they had been born and bred for. And now they only had to wait to be picked. It was everyone's dream to be picked. If you weren't picked… you would forever be considered less valuable than the others. If you weren't picked… something must be wrong with you.

And so they sat in the box in the middle of the room penned in as the person beyond the view window observed them and decided which one of them they would pick. Their playful childish days were long behind them and it was time to prove their training. He would not fail. He would show them that he was good and reliable. He could be depended upon to defend them with his life if necessary.

Some of his mates from his time in training weren't as patient as him though. As time wore on and it seemed like no one must be on the other side of the glass they began to fidget impatiently and gradually to socialize. It started off quietly and then got louder as they began to dare each other. Some of them began to worm their way to where they could get half out of the box, however their obedience ensured that they still kept two feet inside the box.

And in all this mess there was behind him the most impatient and immature of his age mates. They called him Bean after an old saying about jumping beans. He wasn't sure how that one managed to make it into this group and wasn't shipped out already. Bean was jumping up and down, not caring if he bumped into anyone. Bean seemed to be close to shouting "Pick Me! Pick Me!"

And through all of this he stood calmly in the middle of the chaos obeying the simple order they had been given beyond its letter in the hope that this would prove to the person he was sure was beyond the glass that he was indeed ready to be picked and that he was the best one for the job. He shifted only when he was shoved around by his rowdy mates and didn't make a sound even when he was trodden on by them.

And then the door opened and _he_ walked in. _He_ was a dark clad man who carried around himself an aura of power rivaled by none. This is what he had been waiting for. He hoped that he had impressed the man. He had felt the man watching him several times over the course of his training and it had made him even more determined to prove himself. There could be no greater placement than if he was picked by this man. Even if the man didn't pick him he knew that his loyalty was already with this man.

The man stepped forward and looked in his direction. "Cadet Piett. You will come with me." He gestured for Piett to step out of the box that had been made on the floor from tape.

Upon hearing his name, Piett instantly snapped to attention. "Yes, my Lord." He was not surprised that Lord Vader already knew his name.

There was a noise of outrage from behind Piett. Bean had obviously not expected the quiet and studious Piett to be the one Lord Vader would choose for his personal protégé, the man who would one day be the Second in Command on the Sith Lord's Flagship, second only to Lord Vader himself.

The ire radiating off of Lord Vader at this was palpable, nearly a physical presence in the room. All of the cadets held their breath.

"Is there a problem Cadet-?" He paused to let Bean fill in his name.

Bean glowered. His outrage at the perceived injustice of having his name unknown to Lord Vader was apparent.

"Cadet Mouna." He left a deliberate pause before he finished. "_Sir_."

The tension in the room rose as Bean deliberately insulted the most senior military officer of the Empire.

"_I_ am meant for that position, not," He sneered at Piett, "him. He couldn't command his way out of the fresher."

Bean had been known to brag to the other cadets about the superior position he would attain upon his graduation due to his father's influence. To see another cadet get the choice position of the year broke any restraint that he had on his big mouth.

"The position has already been given to Ensign Piett."

Piett stood straighter as he heard that. He may be the lowest ranked officer, but he _was_ an officer now; no longer a cadet as Bean would continue to be for a few more weeks.

"You can't do that! My Father-"

If he survived that long.

"Is a fool to think that a few credits in the right hands would guarantee his son a position in _my_ ranks."

Piett remained standing at Lord Vader's side and Bean held his ground, barely, before the furious Vader as the other cadets fled their box to hide against the walls of the room as far from Vader and his anger as possible. It was obvious to all that Bean had made his final, fatal, mistake. Vader could not stand corruption, especially in his officers, like Captain Mouna, Bean's father.

Vader raised his hand and Bean was lifted off his feet in a choke hold. He was truly afraid for the first time in his life. Even Piett felt some slight pity for the young man as he gibbered in fear, but Bean had gotten himself into this mess. He deserved whatever punishment Lord Vader wished to deal out for him.

The other cadets watched wide eyed as Bean gradually turned blue, as he could no longer get any air, before finally dying.

"Do not fail me Ensign Piett."

"Never, my Lord."

The death appeared to have been drawn out in order to make clear what would happen to anyone who failed the Sith Lord. Piett and the other cadets had gotten the message clearly. Many of those in the room would now be vying for a position as far from the temperamental Lord Vader as possible. Piett saw only justice. He would do his best to serve Lord Vader and should he ever fail he would deserve whatever death Lord Vader chose to give him.

From that moment on Piett knew that he would live and die by Lord Vader's command. His loyalty would never waver from the man in front of him.

Behind his strongest shields Lord Vader felt proud of the young man beside him. He had been watching and he had seen the strong morals and command ability that he displayed as a Cadet. And now as an Ensign he had already begun to prove his full loyalty as well as his ability to withstand, and think clearly under stress.

For the first time Lord Vader was certain that he would have an officer under his command, fully loyal to him. The last piece of the puzzle was coming into place. He already had an army whose loyalty he was assured of. In just a few more years he was sure that the Empire would be free of Lord Sidious' destructive grip and guided into his vision of true peace.

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AN: Many thanks to my sister and Beta Kudostalker on this chapter. And thanks for the reviews. So far it seems the plunnies will be hanging out in this universe for a while longer.


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